title: The protective effects of tea polyphenols and schisandrin B on nephrotoxicity of mercury.
abstract: Mercury (Hg) is an occupational and environmental contaminant that is a well-recognized health hazard. To approach the concrete mechanisms of mercury nephrotoxicity and find out a new way to prevent it, the rats were subcutaneously injected with different dosages of mercuric chloride (HgCl(2))--0, 2.2, 4.4, and 8.8 μmol/kg. The levels of Hg, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urine protein, glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were investigated, and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis and the pathological changes were also observed. In addition, the effects of 1 mmol/kg tea polyphenols (TP) and 0.04 mmol/kg schisandrin B (Sch B) were studied at 8.8 μmol/kg HgCl(2). It was observed that the levels of Hg, BUN, urine protein, GSH, and MDA and activities of NAG, ALP, and LDH increased significantly; the activities of SOD and GSH-Px decreased significantly; the levels of ROS and apoptosis increased obviously; and many pathological changes occurred dose-dependently in the HgCl(2) injection groups. Further investigation indicated that pretreatment with TP and Sch B significantly reversed the toxic effects of HgCl(2). These results suggested that TP and Sch B might antagonize the nephrotoxicity caused by HgCl(2) exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhaofa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Haibo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yangang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D034242:Cyclooctanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D017705:Lignans / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000633:toxicity*; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D034242:Cyclooctanes; D017705:Lignans; D011083:Polycyclic Compounds; D059808:Polyphenols; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013662:Tea; C015499:schizandrin B; D008628:Mercury